The Lewis Blackman Story – Faculty Guide

Helen Haskell has graciously given permission to use these Lewis Blackman videos for the education of students and health professionals worldwide. To each video segment, we have added questions that can be used to stimulate discussion or structure a written assignment.

The questions for Video A are designed to elicit learning about the signs and symptoms of septic shock – something Ms. Haskell wants every nursing and medical student to learn in order to reduce the likelihood of “failure to rescue” of someone else’s loved one in the future.

The questions for Videos B-E are designed to elicit learning about the QSEN competencies of patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, and safety.

Potential strategies for use of the Lewis Blackman story include:

Classroom Instruction

Show video segments in a lecture class and facilitate a class discussion on selected questions. UNC faculty members used this approach with a class of 88 BSN students and received positive feedback.

If you have a room layout that allows use of breakout groups, try allowing small group reaction/discussion time prior to full group discussion following each video segment.

If students have their own computers in the classroom, small breakout groups could be assigned to view one of the Videos C-E (all will have to view A and B to get the story), and small group discussions on assigned video segments and questions sets could be followed by opportunities to share insights with the total class following breakout time.

Online Instruction

Assign students to view all or selected video clips and reflect on the questions that accompany each.

Use one or more questions as the stimulus for asynchronous or synchronous discussions.

In a module aimed at developing knowledge skills and attitudes related to a specific QSEN competency, include video segments in the assignment, and select questions that are pertinent to the competency for a student written assignment.

Simulation Lab

Develop a simulation scenario that focuses on elements of the Lewis Blackman story. Use it with students during weeks when classroom or clinical instructors are focusing on QSEN competency development and using the Lewis Blackman video clips and questions.

Use the simulation with students prior to introducing the Lewis Blackman videos, so that they are well equipped to answer the Video A question set.

Clinical Teaching

Be alert to student exposure to health care errors, poor teamwork, or lack of patient-centeredness while practicing on the patient care unit. When such issues surface, assign students to view the Lewis Blackman story prior to the next clinical teaching day. Facilitate discussion of questions/reactions in post-clinical conferences.

Ask students to view the Lewis Blackman videos at the beginning of a clinical rotation and reflect on the culture questions as they observe the communications among health care providers on the current patient care unit. They might provide responses in reflective journals or as part of a written assignment for the course.

Many other ideas for use of these videos will occur to you and your colleagues. We hope you will share the teaching strategies you develop and test by submitting them to the QSEN strategy collection.